Second Pickens shooting in less than a week called murder/suicide
PICKENS – For the second time in less than a week, gunshots have claimed the lives of two Pickens men in what the Pickens County Coroner’s office believes is a murder suicide.
In an official statement from Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley, Kelley says Floyd Eugene Galloway, 42, of 367 Massingill Memorial Highway in Pickens and Tony Carl Edens, 43, of 101 Wallace Drive also in Pickens were killed by gunshot wounds to the head. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Friday at Galloway’s home.
Kelley said Galloway shot Edens and then turned the gun on himself. Galloway was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:44 p.m. Edens was pronounced dead at Cannon Memorial Hospital at 5:35 a.m. on Saturday.
An autopsy on each is scheduled at Greenville Memorial Hospital. Alcohol is suspected to have contributed to the crime, according to Kelley.
The Pickens County Sherriff’s office is investigating the case.
More information will be posted on yourpickenscounty.com as it develops. See this Wednesday’s Pickens County Courier for complete story.
Pickens Attorney J. Redmond Coyle gunned down behind his office
PICKENS – Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley has confirmed that Pickens attorney J. Redmond Coyle is dead following a shooting behind his office on Main Street in Pickens Wednesday.
According to authorities, Coyle was shot several times around 5 p.m. Coyle, 61, of Salem, was taken to Cannon Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe Coyle was gunned down and the suspect in the case then turned the gun on himself.
Jerry Crenshaw of Martin School Road in Pickens was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where he later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Kelley.
Local merchants told the Courier that they heard three gunshots and screams when the incident occurred.
Officers from the Pickens Police Department and Pickens County Sheriff’s Office were on the scene and quickly secured the area just behind Main Street.
According to a release from the Pickens police department, a hand-written note was found inside the vehicle Crenshaw had driven to the crime scene. The note “indicated that Crenshaw intended to harm Mr. Coyle as a result of an earlier divorce action in which Mr. Coyle represented Mr. Crenshaw’s estranged wife.”
Police also obtained a search warrant for Crenshaw’s residence, wherein evidence was found indicating that Crenshaw intended to take his own life, officers said.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, according to Pickens Police Chief Tommy Ellenburg.
Continue to visit yourpickenscounty.com for further updates as they develop.
BREAKING NEWS!!!-Downtown Pickens Shooting
Shots fired in Downtown Pickens, two injured, details to follow, keep checking with us for further information.
Daniel vs. Seneca Games Rescheduled
The Daniel-Seneca basketball games will be played on Wednesday, February 10 in the Daniel High School gym. The girls’ game will begin at 6:00 p.m.; the boys’ game will follow. Both games will be open to the public.
The games, originally scheduled for January 29, were cancelled because of a winter storm. Prior to the cancellation, however, administrators in both Oconee and Pickens school districts made a joint decision to close the games to the public.
Because circumstances leading to that decision have been resolved, administrators will open the February 10 games. Extra security will be in place at both games.
Sharon Huff, Daniel High School principal, said, “Although we feel the issues have been resolved, we will take extra security measures to ensure the safety of those attending. We sincerely appreciate the support that law enforcement officers, parents and community members have given us through this situation. Most of all, I want to thank the students for rallying behind us. We had to make a difficult decision, but I am confident it was the right decision under the circumstances at that time.”
“We are pleased that the game will be open to the public and echo the sentiments of Principal Huff in appreciation for the community support we received in keeping student safety a priority,” said Cliff Roberts, principal of Seneca High School.
Officials say shooting led to game-closing decision
By Zack Mauldin
Associate Editor
CENTRAL — Four people were arrested Friday in connection with a Seneca shooting that led to school officials closing the doors on scheduled basketball games between Daniel High and Seneca High.
Three Westminster teens and a Mountain Rest man were charged with firing into a dwelling after investigators said 12 shots were fired into a Seneca home on Thomas Heights Circle on the night of Sunday, Jan. 24.
Colby Edward Watts, 17, Jeffery Willimon Sandifer, 18, Jeremy Lawing, 18, and Keith Moore were taken into custody Friday.
An investigation is still ongoing in the incident. Seneca police said that 12 shots were fired into the dwelling from two different firearms and separate vehicles. Officers said that at least one Seneca High basketball player was in the home at the time of the shooting.
Although Friday’s games between the Lions and Bobcats were ultimately postponed due to icy weather, officials from school districts in both Pickens and Oconee County announced Wednesday that the games would be played in a closed gym, citing “precautions for student safety,” but declining to go into specific details on the circumstances surrounding the decision.
After a day of questions from parents, fans and media in the community, School District of Pickens County media relations director Julie Thompson finally addressed the reason for the drastic measure in a release Thursday afternoon.
“The joint decision was made as the result of serious threats against the safety of two Daniel High School players specifically targeting Friday night’s basketball game,” Thompson said. “Those threats came after a weekend drive-by shooting incident in Seneca.”
Seneca Police Chief John Covington said that an investigation revealed that no Daniel High players were involved in the shooting.
“We are relieved to know that Daniel students were not involved in the incident,” Daniel principal Sharon Huff said Thursday. “We are still concerned that our players have received serious threats and feel it is in the best interest of our students’ safety to keep the game closed to the public.”
Only team members, coaches, officials, game personnel, school administrators, law enforcement officials and members of the media would have been allowed to attend the games Friday night at Daniel based on the original decision, while the junior varsity boys’ and girls’ games scheduled for that night at Seneca were cancelled. School district officials announced Friday that players’ parents would also be allowed to attend.
The decision was made following conversations with local law enforcement officials and the South Carolina High School League, school officials said.
“This was a joint decision preceded by careful consideration of many options,” Seneca High School principal Cliff Roberts said in Wednesday’s release. “We are confident that our decision to close the varsity games and cancel the junior varsity games is best for ensuring the safety of our students.”
Roberts and Huff stressed that the community incidents have not impacted day-to-day instruction and activities at the schools.
“It’s unfortunate that a community incident negatively impacts a high school game in this way,” said Sharon Huff, principal at Daniel. “The Daniel vs. Seneca game is always well-attended, and people enjoy the rivalry. Our athletic program will lose revenue; however, we can’t put a price on student safety. We’re simply taking precautions to protect students.”
Covington applauded the administrations’ decision.
“The rivalry between Seneca and Daniel has always been intense,” Covington said. “Recently we have observed a trend of disturbances and violence after the games that have spilled out into the parking lot, area businesses and neighborhoods. Based on this trend, the action taken by the school districts is prudent and ensures the safety of the students and the public.”
The games were rescheduled for Feb. 10 in Central, but Daniel athletic director Dusty Oates said that he was unsure whether the games would be open to the public on the make-up date.